Winged debut: what will be on display at the MAKS Air Show?

Aug 24 2015

Tatyana Rusakova

RIR

Ka-52.

Sergey Prichkin/RG

The MAKS Air Show will open in Zhukovsky (Moscow Oblast) on August 25. In 2015, the air show celebrates 22 years of its existence. It has been not only the largest platform to develop international cooperation in the field of aviation, but also a spectacular show, demonstrating latest achievements of Russian aviation. Exhibitors from over 40 countries will display their products this year. Visitors can expect to witness some surprises at the exhibition, including five Russian novelties which will be presented at this show for the first time.

The heir to the famous K-50 ‘Black Shark’, the Ka-52 ‘Alligator’, a coaxial reconnaissance and attack helicopter, will be shown at this year’s exhibition in its naval adaptation (helicopters with folding rotor blades for deployment on ships). This unique helicopter is able to carry out tasks at any time of the day, under adverse weather conditions, while the latest state-of-the-art onboard avionics and radar allow it to utilize X-35B guided missiles, making this helicopter a proficient destroyer of ships.

‘Chirok’ (Teal)

One of the most anticipated new products at MAKS-2015 would be the display of a unique unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – the ‘Chirok’. This aircraft stands out with its innovative design; the chassis is located on an air cushion, which allows it to take off and land on virtually any surface. Particularly interesting is the unmanned cabin, with “seats”, which occupies most of the fuselage space. This is likely because, as the Rostec website states, the “new UAV can be used not only in the unmanned mode, but can also, for example, transport people to remote areas”.

Flying lab of the promising new high-speed helicopter

On display for the first time will be the model of a promising flying laboratory; the new high-speed helicopter PSV, which is designed to carry out research and experimental work to improve the performance characteristics of helicopters flying at speeds of up to 450 km/h. This flying laboratory will allow for testing various elements of a helicopter in real flight, including on-board instrumentation. The PSV is a multi-purpose helicopter designed to serve two functions; replacing the Mi-8 and Mi-17 aircraft series. This helicopter will be able to carry 21 to 24 people at speeds of up to 450 kilometers per hour.

PSV. Source: Vitaly Kuzmin/wikipedia.org

The Su-30 SM – the naval aviation version

The Su-30SM is a multipurpose super-manoeuvrable fighter jet. This is an advanced version of the Su-30MK family of combat aircraft. This fighter jet is equipped with phased antenna array radar, engines with thrust vector control, and canard panels. It can be equipped with advanced and futuristic high-precision weapons in the “air-to-air” and “air-to-surface” classes. By the year 2020, the Russian Navy plans to take more than 50 Su-30SM aircraft into service.

Su-30SM. Source: RIA Novosti/Ebgeny Epachintsev

TR-301 Monoplane: reincarnation of the An-2

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was left without any small aircraft. Today they are working on modernizing and providing new engines for the multipurpose An-2 aircraft, which have remained in existence since the Soviet era. The TR-301 Monoplane is yet another modernized version of the AN-2, developed by the private company Tekhnoregion. According to developers of the TR-301 Monoplane, their plane is 450 kgs lighter than the An-2 (with the same dimensions and payload capacity), uses less fuel, and is much cheaper to buy, than foreign analogues.